


Five Went In

by chasingkerouac



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Athosians, Gen, Leadership, Rites of Passage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-07
Updated: 2007-05-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 22:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13599633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingkerouac/pseuds/chasingkerouac
Summary: Five went into the forest.  Their people waited to see who would return first and be honored with the title Emmagan, and lead the people of Athos.





	Five Went In

Charin could feel the waves of change in the air even before Tagan died. He had been sick, sick for so long but he held on until there was nothing left to hold on to, and the people of Athos waited. They waited for the group to return, to see which one would return victorious and be honored with the title Emmagan, and lead the people of Athos.

The elders chose the persons who would be tested. There was Goran, son of Hillas, Pollar, son of Barick, Chillan, son of Tellan, Halling, son of Boran, and Teyla, daughter of Tagan. 

Five went into the forest, and their people waited to see who would return first. 

It had been three days, but Charin had no doubt who would emerge first. She was the one who vouched for Teyla, a child of her heart, just as the Tagan had been. She’d watched Teyla grow from a child, painting pictures and singing the songs of the Ancients that Charin taught her. Those were a mother’s lessons to her daughter, but Teyla’s mother had died when the girl was so young, so very young. Charin knew the child would learn skills for her life from her father, for Tagan was an excellent teacher and an excellent leader for their people, but Teyla also needed someone to teach her the skills of the heart, skills in which Charin excelled. 

She’d known since Teyla was born that she would be a great leader for the Athosian people. She’d felt it in her bones, and when Charin knew something, she was never wrong. Although she knew, she kept it to herself, wanting Teyla to prove herself, to take up her father’s mantle and the title of Emmagan for their people of her own choosing. Too often when people are told where their path lies, they rebel against the inevitable, or they attempt to get by without the hard work necessary.

So she kept it to herself, watching Teyla grow into the young woman of seventeen cycles who would accept the challenge to go into the forest without food or water and not emerge until the Ancestors showed her the tuttleflower that would signal the Ancestors’ approval of her bid to lead her people, or she was told that it had bloomed for another and she returned to celebrate the title passing to another. The root of the plant was common, but the plant rarely bloomed the large, orange flower it was capable of, and the tradition said that the Ancestors would allow the plant to bloom only for the rightful leader of the Athosian people. So they sent the young whom the elders believed had the skills to lead their people and waited, waited to see whom the Ancestors would mark as their leader. 

Four days passed before Teyla returned, slowed from hunger and exhaustion, the five-petaled flower settled comfortably in her hair. The residents of the village ran to see the woman, the woman, whom the Ancestors had declared their leader. There hadn’t been a woman to lead the Athosians since before the last culling, since before Charin’s memories, and they were understandably surprised and in awe of the young woman who could not contain her happiness at the knowledge that she would serve her people as her father had. 

And while Charin was happy, she was not surprised. She’d seen greatness in Teyla – a depth of spirit and a well of strength that would serve her well, and serve their people well. Their people would survive, just as they always did, and Teyla would lead them through the difficulties could feel coming. 

Change was in the air, and change was in her bones. Before Teyla emerged from the forest, she thought that the change was that Teyla would wear the leader’s title and mantle, a woman, a young woman leading their people, but no. It was more than that. A more permanent change, but Charin could not vocalize what it might be. 

Whatever it was, it was coming. And Teyla would be the one to lead their people through it, long after Charin was gone, that she knew for certain. 

She finally rose from her bench, her knees protesting the movement. Charin joined the people circling Teyla, daughter of Tagan -- who would now be honored as Teyla Emmagan, leader of the Athosian people.

A change was coming, and Teyla Emmagan would lead them through. Their people would survive, of this Charin, daughter of Hallan, was sure.


End file.
